Conductor s excess-check



2 Sheets-Sheet- 1.

E. 111. TAGY.

Fatente Deo. 17 1895.

CONDUGTGRS EXCESS CHECK.

(No Model.)

FIG. l..

f: m, Tm Mm Wm Dm, UM Um Uw w Dm Dm Dm mm NM 9 NP Nw wn A w A Am W Mw wmwm. wm 1 Am mm um M M M von wo .S WM Rf H .J Rw E m m o C C u m u; UM U,m Dm m Dc Q DW E Q Nr a Nm ...La Nm d n O O 0 auw C C C 4%..

@22mm u .P OON W 6 1NVENTGR:

JQ JM zz's ltowzey @gm i@ nm By W@ wwV PMD BY PASSENLFR SEM ff MAM mausiGRS Memo RAN BLUM FIG. 2.

.WITNESSESf (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheena E.M.TA0Y. GONDUGTORS BXGESSCHECK. No.`551,417. Patented Dec. 17, 1895.

FIG. 4. FIG 5, F/ 5,

INVENTOR: ZM Jg,

By /zz's ffw'neys,

amm-@QW @y UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

EIVARI) M. TACY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONDUCTORS EXCESS-CHECK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 551,417', datedDecember 17, 1895.

Application iiled March S, 1894. Serial ITel 502,864. (No model.)

.T all whom t 11mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. TACY, a citizen of the United States,resid ing in Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Iniproveinents'inConductors7 Excess-Checks and Analogous Devices, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to cheeks to be given by conductors or collectorsto a passenger paying,` his fare on a train, or to a person making apayment to a collector. The former use is that for which such cheeks aremost generally employed, and ordinarily in such employment the paymentmade is slightly in excess of the actual amount due, and the passengerreceives an excess check or slip from the conductor indicating thestations between which he has traveled, and entitling hiin to a refundof the excess on presentation of the check to the proper oiiicial. Vhiletraveling this check serves as the passen gers ticket.

Many devices for such use have been previously employed. One of thosebest known has been superposed duplicate checks from which certain datais to be punched out by the conductor, the duplicates being separable,and one given the'passenger while the other is retained by the conductoras a ticket and delivered to the 4proper oiiicer to whom he accounts.Another well-knownforin consists of a pad of superposed sheets, theuppermost of each pair havingl carbon or other offsetting ortransferring' composition on its rear face, whereby when the fare andstations are written in pencil on the face of this check acorresponding` 'transfer appears on the next check, the conductorkeeping one' and the passenger the other.

My invention aims to provide an improved memorandum or check of thisgeneral character which shall be simple and convenient of use, secureagainst alteration, and which can be used as a memorandum or record ofthe transactions of the conductor or collector employing it. l

To this end in carrying out the invention in its preferred form, Iprovide elongated sheets of a width. corresponding to the length of thechecks, folded intermediate of its ends, having,` on the outer face ofone folded flap a plurality of spaces or checks successively numbered,and each constructed with certain spaces for containing data relative tothe na ture and use of the corresponding check, and at the back of thisflap I provide an offset or transfer material, preferably in the form ofa narrow strip of carbon disposed directly on the back surface of theflap opposite the proper spaces therein, and on the other iiap of thestrip in positions corresponding to the positions of said checks ormemoranda I provide a corresponding,` number of detachable checkslikewise successively numbered with corresponding numbers, and havingblanks or spaces opposite the corresponding,` spaces of the first ila-p,and adapted to receive the offset from said transfer material when the-iirst fia-p is filled in by the conductor in penthe passengers checksare conveniently filled out and may readily be detached, and uponpresentation can conveniently be verified by comparison with theoriginal conductors memorandum.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred adaptationof the invention, Figure l is a front elevation of my iniproved check,the lowerinost part of the outer flap being torn away to exhibit thecorrespending checks on the under flap. Fig. 2 is a face view of thetorn-away part of the outer flap. Fig. 3 is a view of the rear facethereof. Fig. i is a view on a smaller scale of the front face of theinitial sheet before folding. Fig. 5 is an edge view thereof. Fig. 6 isa view of the rear face thereof. Y Fig. 7 is an'edge view thereof afterfoldine; and Fig. 8 is a cross-section thereof on the line 8 8in Fig. 7.In Figs. a, 5, and (i the dotted lines o@ a"- indicate the line on whichthe sheet is folded.

Referring to the drawings, let A indicate the conductors or memorandumflap or sheet and B the ticket or check lia-p or sheet; C, the

IOO

front or ymemorandum side of the former; D, the severalmemorandum-compartments thereon; E, the rear face of the memorandum flapor sheet; F, the transfer material at the Vrear thereof; G, the frontface of the ticket flap or sheet; H, the several tickets or checksthereof, and I, the dividing point or line of separation between thelatter.

The flap A maybe any suitable sheet of paper or analogous materialhaving on its front face a plurality of successively-numberedmemorandum-spaces D. Preferably it is a strip of paper of a Widthequaling the length of the checks H, and the compartments D traverse ittransversely one above the other from its bottom edge to or near itstop. The compartments D are successively numbered, beginning with thelowermost one or that at the lower edge of the strip, are permanentlyconnected together, and are of like dimensions and arrangementthroughout. In the construction shown each consists of an inclosing-linea inclosing a rectangular space and crossed vertically at the left-handside by a vertical line l), the space between which and the adjacentvertical line a being subdivided by a horizontal line cinto asubstantially square punch-space CZ and an oblong number-space c. In thespace d are arranged the Words If punched here excess not collected, orany equivalent expression; and in the latter space are arranged theWords Series A, No. 1003, or any equivalent or suitable identifyin sign.Across the top of each compartment in this construction is a horizontalline f dividing off a space g, Within which the title of the memorandumis printed, as the Words Conductors memorandum. Beneath this space isanother horizontal line 7L, inclosing a space i, constituting thestations and amount of space, Within which are the Words Fromj To, andAmt paid by passenger. rIhese Words are at top and suitably spaced, sothat beneath or near the Word From there is room for the designation ofthe station at Which the passenger entered the train, that indicated inthe detached memorandum being station 190, and beneath or near the WordTo there is room for the designation of the station to which fare hasbeen paid, that shown being station No. 195, and beneath or near theWords Amt. paid by passenger there is room for designation of the amountof the cash payment actually made to the conductor. The station-numbersand the amount paid will be Written in on the memorandum by theconductor before delivering the passengers check, and at the same timehe Will fill in the date on the date-space j beneath, and will also makeany entries on the blank space 7c below, which space is provided forconvenience in entering any notes or signature Which circumstances mayrequire.

The transfer or offset material is best employed by applying it directlyto the back surface E of the sheet A, as shown. It consists of anysuitable transfer material which should have some distinctive colorwhereby its offset onto the excess-check cannot be readily altered bythe person holding the latter. It is preferably arranged in narrowstrips, as shown at F in Fig. 3, and at rear only of such portion of theface of the memorandum Where the matter to be offset onto theexcess-check is to be Written, so that no other matter or signaturesnoted on the memorandum Will appear on the excesscheck. As shown, it isarranged in a transverse strip crossing the sheet A directly back of thestation and amount space t' of each memorandum-space D and of slightlygreater width than this space.

The flap B maybe any suitable sheet of paper or analogous materialhaving on its front face a plurality of successively-numbered tickets orchecks H corresponding in number and position to thememorandum-compartments D. Its tickets II are detachably connectedtogether in suitable manner, as by being formed in an integral sheetwhich is subdivided by a roW of perforations at the dividing-point Ibetween the tickets. The tickets II in the construction shown consisteach of an inclosing-line Z, Within the rectangular space bounded bywhich is a vertical crossline nt at the left-hand side, dividing off aspace which is subdivided by a short hori` zontal linen into apunch-space o and a number-spacep, each corresponding in size, shape andposition to the spaces d and e of the memorandum compartments D. f Inthe punch-space are the Words If punched here Vnot redeemable, and arepresentation of a punch-spot q, or any suitable equivalent matter. Inthe number-space are arranged the Words Series A 1001 or any suitableequivalent designation Which corresponds to the designation on thecorresponding memorandum-blank D. A horizontal line r divides off aspace s at top of each ticket II, Within which the name of the companyissuing the ticket may be indicated. In the example shown the WordsIssued by Quick Excess Bailroar are printed in this space. Beneath thisspace is another horizontal line zi, between which and the line r is ablank space u corresponding in size and location to the space t' of thememorandum-compartments D, and bearing the same printed matter as thatin the space z'. This space is directly opposite the strip F of transfermaterial and exposed to the offset therefrom, so that any entry on thespace t' by the conductor will be transferred and offset on the space uof the excess-ticket. Beneath the line t is a rectangular space fu,Within which any suitable explanatory matter can be printed. In theexample shown this space contains the following printed matter:Conductors Excess Check. Not good for passage. This check must beprepared before it is separated, and this colored half delivered topassenger paying fare to the conductor, as evidence of such passengersright to receive IOO IIO

from the company the excess of fare so paid. The numbers must indicatethe stations from and to which fare is collected. Redeemable at 10 centson presentation at any ticket o'ice of this company unless punched, asprovided for on this check.

I prefer to construct the sheets A and B of a sin gle integral piece ofpaper having the memorandum-spaces D printed onone side and the checks Hprinted on the other, with perforated lines traversing the sheet betweenthe checks, and the offset material applied directly on the back face ofthe blanks, and to then fold this piece of paper at its middle, so thatthe blanks are brought over the checks in proper position. I also preferto print the checks in a different st-yle or color from the conductorsmemorandum, so that it may be easily distinguished, this beingaccomplished in the construction shown by making the space t' of eachcheck of a dark tint or shade.

In operation, the conductor in making a collection writes in the actualamount taken, together with the numbers of the stations, in the space iof the first compartment D, and below this enters the date in thedate-space J, and beneath in the note-space K may enter any matter, suchas his signature and an explanation if a half-fare has been taken. Thisoperation transfers the amounts written in the spa-ce i' onto the spaceu of the corresponding check. lf the amount taken is the exact fare, sothat the passenger is entitled to no refund for excess, the conductorwill punch through the punch-space d, which will simultaneously punchout the spot from the punchspace o of the check, thereby permanentlyindicating on both the blank and check that no excess has been paid. lfthere is an excess, this punching operation will be omitted, so that thepassenger may take the excess-check to the proper office and collect thedifference between the amount actually paid and the fare actually due ashis excess. Upon completing his memorandum, the conductor tears off thecorresponding excess-check and delivers it to the passenger.

As the conductor issues excess-checks he preserves his memorandum-slipsin their regular order, wherebyit is always convenient to refer to themby number and compute the lamounts collected.

The series of memorandum-blanks constitutes a stub which when theconductor accounts to the auditor is preserved by the latter, and theseries of checks constitute receipts which, as they are presented to theauditor for payment to the passenger of the excess, are compared withthe stubs and thereby each is verified by the other.

It will be seen that my invention provides an improved excess-checkwhich can be variously availed of with much advantage. Among itsadvantageous features may be enumerated the following: Itis quick toissue 5 is a positive check on the conductor for the money received; theconductor cannot change or reissue it for another amount; it gives thepassenger a receipt for the actual sum paid; it can be used with orwithout the drawback or excess, as the auditors stub shows the amount ofits receipt; a receipt cannot be made without showing the amount on thestub; it gives the auditor an absolute check on conductors; it can beaudited quickly; the same check can be used on the various divisions ofone road 5 the receipt cannot be issued for one amount and the stub foranother; it is a check that cannot be tampered with when once issued,and it is compact and cheap.

l. In a conductors check, or analogous device, a sheet of paper havingon front fac-e at one side of its center a series of like blankssuccessively disposed from near its one edge to near its center, saidblanks each having a like marking space, said sheet having on its rearfac-e at back of said blanks a coating' of transfer material on andconstituting part of said rear face and at back of each of said spaces,said sheet having on its rear face at the other side of its center aseries of like blanks successively disposed from near its edge to nearits center and of like size 'to said first mentioned blanks, havingmarking spaces, said series of blanks of both said faces of likelocation relatively to the adjacent edges of said sheet, the blanks ofone of said series detachably connected together, and said sheet foldedbetween said series of blanks with said transfer material against saidseries on the back face thereof, whereby markings on the front seriesare transferred to the other series and the blanks of one series can bedetached for use and those of the other series preserved together intheir successive relation for record.

2. In a conductors check, or analogous device, a sheet folded uponitself and having upon one of its ilaps a plurality of memorandum blanksD, successively numbered, permanently connected together, and eachhaving a space t, said ilap having on and constituting part of its rearface a plurality of rows F of transfer material, said rows arranged oneopposite each of said spaces il, and the other flap of said sheet foldedagainst the rear face of the rst mentioned flap and having on itsadjacent face a plurality of detachable checks H, having each a blankspace u at rear of the like space t' of the corresponding blanks andopposite and in contact with a corresponding strip F, said checks oflike size and position relatively to said blanks, whereby any mattei'written on the space 'L' of any blank will be transferred onto the spaceu of the corresponding check, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

3. In a conductors check or analogous device, a sheet A having aplurality of memorandum blanks D on its front face, permanentlyconnected together and successively numbered, each of said blanks havinga punch IOO IIO

space d, a number space e, and a space 't' for the entry of stations andamount paid, and having on its rear face a strip F of transfer materialconstituting part of its rear face opposite the last named space of eachblank D and out of opposition to said punch space, in combination with asheet B at rear of said sheet A having on its front face a plurality oftickets H, of like dimensions arrangement and numbers to the blanks D,detachably connected together, and each havin g a punch space o, anumber space p, and a station and EDWARD M. TACY.

W'itnesses:

ROBERT J. JoHNsToN, FRANK B. JAQUETT.

